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Studies on Alzheimer's Disease pp 223–232Cite as

Antioxidant Clinical Trials in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s Disease

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Abstract

Many studies have been published so far showing the significant role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and the role of antioxidants as protective factors have been also shown in epidemiological survey. On this basis, clinical trials have been conducted in AD as well as in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) with different antioxidants, alone or in combination. In this chapter we review results or protocols of completed or ongoing studies with different molecules. Briefly, most of these studies are characterized by extremely poor comparability and the absence of a substantial clinical benefit but many aspects in their design and lack of fundamental prerequisites, such as pretreatment antioxidant status, cause several biases and do not offer a possibility to really understand if an antioxidant therapy can be effective both in preventing MCI conversion to dementia or in treating AD. Since oxidative stress is undoubtedly involved in AD, new RCTs with better defined rationale, quality of design, and clear outcomes are needed.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Ospedale S. Maria della Misericordia Perugia, University of Perugia, Block C Floor 4, S.Andrea delle Fratte, 06156, Perugia, Italy

    Patrizia Mecocci M.D. Ph.D.

  2. Institute of Geriatrics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany

    M. Cristina Polidori Ph.D.

  3. Department of Pharmacology, Center for Translational Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine, 947 Medical Education and Research Building, 3500 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA

    Domenico Praticó M.D.

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  1. Patrizia Mecocci M.D. Ph.D.
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  2. M. Cristina Polidori Ph.D.
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  3. Domenico Praticó M.D.
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Correspondence to Patrizia Mecocci M.D. Ph.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Pharmacology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

    Domenico Praticὸ

  2. Istituto di Gerontologia e Geriatria, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italy

    Patrizia Mecocci

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Mecocci, P., Polidori, M.C., Praticó, D. (2013). Antioxidant Clinical Trials in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s Disease. In: Praticὸ, D., Mecocci, P. (eds) Studies on Alzheimer's Disease. Oxidative Stress in Applied Basic Research and Clinical Practice. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-598-9_16

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